MANSEHRA, July 24: Councillors of the Kohistan district have refused to pass the proposed surplus budget for the current financial year with a total outlay of Rs651.30 million.

They said the district nazim and the district coordination officer had earmarked over Rs11.3 million for their offices, which, they alleged, would be embezzled.

The Kohistan nazim had presented the budget on July 19 and debate to pass the budget started on Tuesday.

They said that despite other discrepancies in the proposed budget, the district nazim and the DCO had proposed a big chunk of the non-salary budget for their luxurious way of life.They termed the budget a jugglery of the words.

They said that an amount of Rs4 million was earmarked for the office of district nazim, Rs4.9 million for the DCO office and Rs2.4 for the electricity of both the offices which was as pre-planed conspiracy to loot and plunder the amount.

They said that Kohistan was a neglected and backward district of the NWFP where no government had taken interest in its development.

The councillors expressed their mistrust on the performance of the Tehsil Municipal Administrator, EDO (agriculture) and director of the Kohistan Development Authority.